Mayor Michael Villa said today he has received confirmation that the City of Amsterdam has been approved to receive $970,000 in emergency funds from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation. Approximately $560,000 of that amount is for sewer system repairs near Pershing Street which has been causing sewage to back up in several homes. The remaining amount will be used to repair a water main break on the South Side, near Bridge Street, which has been bypassed temporarily and is still in need of a permanent fix.
Villa said the emergency funds were “good news” and added, “We’re thankful the [state] representatives that went to bat for us. It’s a positive step as we move forward to improve our infrastructure.”
He expects the funds to be transferred to the city sometime today.
According to the NY EFC website, “The Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 provides up to $10 million for expedited financial assistance to municipalities for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure emergencies where the condition of the infrastructure is causing or could reasonably be expected to cause an imminent hazard to the public health or welfare, or to the environment.”
